Analysis of global and national practices of implementing circular economy principles in underground coal mining
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33271/crpnmu/86.094Keywords:
underground coal mining, circular economy, bibliometric analysis, VOSviewer, waste rock, mined-out area backfilling, critical raw materials, Western Donbas.Abstract
Purpose. To identify current trends in the implementation of circular economy principles in underground coal mining through bibliometric and thematic analyzes of scientific publications, systematize global and Ukrainian practices of managing associated resource streams, and determine promising approaches to their integrated utilization in Ukrainian coal mines.
The methods. Bibliometric, network, thematic, and comparative analyzes were applied to scientific publications indexed in the Scopus database for 2000-2025. A dataset of 2,931 unique publications was compiled using six thematic search strategies. VOSviewer 1.6.20 was employed to analyze the co-occurrence of author keywords, visualize their relationships, and identify thematic clusters.
A content analysis of scientific publications was conducted to systematize international technological practices and compare them with the experience of Ukrainian coal mines.
Findings. Eight thematic clusters were identified, and five main areas of circular resource utilization in coal mining were systematized: mining waste recycling, mined-out area backfilling, mine water utilization, coal mine methane recovery and utilization, and critical raw material extraction.
An increase in publication activity was observed across the investigated areas, and the main trends in their technological development were identified. A comparison of international and Ukrainian practices demonstrated that mine water reuse and energy recovery from coal mine methane have already been implemented at individual mines in Western Donbas, whereas underground waste rock retention and critical element extraction require further development.
The originality. The thematic structure of research on circular resource utilization in coal mining was established through bibliometric and thematic analyses. Relationships among eight thematic clusters were identified, and five principal technological areas were systematized. Differences between global research trends and the practical implementation of the corresponding technologies in Ukraine were revealed.
Practical implementation. The findings can be used to identify promising approaches to the integrated utilization of associated resources in Ukrainian coal mines. For the conditions of Western Donbas, potential applications include underground waste rock retention, mine water reuse, energy recovery from coal mine methane, and the extraction of critical elements from coal and associated mining products.
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